Comparison
Noopept vs Vitamin D3 + K2
Side-by-side of Noopept and Vitamin D3 + K2. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Vitamin D3 + K2
Vitamin D3 K2 supplement profile: cholecalciferol at 1000-4000 IU/day corrects deficiency, MK-7 directs calcium to bone, away from arteries.
Effects at a glance
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Vitamin D3 + K2
- •Reduces non-vertebral fractures 10-20% in older adults at 800 IU/day or above when combined with calcium
- •VITAL trial showed neutral results on primary CV and cancer endpoints at 2000 IU/day over 5 years
- •Vitamin D supplementation reduces respiratory infection incidence ~10-20% in deficient populations
- •K2 MK-7 has 72-hour plasma half-life vs 1-2 hours for MK-4; once-daily dosing is sufficient
- •Synergy hypothesis is largely preclinical; dedicated combination RCTs are limited
- •Daily dosing outperforms bolus dosing for immune and infection outcomes
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Noopept | Vitamin D3 + K2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | nootropic | supplement |
| Also known as | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam | cholecalciferol + menaquinone, D3/K2, vitamin D3 with MK-7 |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.7 | 360 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 20 | 0.05 |
| Dosing frequency | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon | daily with a fat-containing meal |
| Routes | oral, sublingual | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 0.5 | 24 |
| Peak (hr) | 1 | 168 |
| Molecular weight | 318.37 | 384.64 |
| Molecular formula | C17H22N2O4 | C27H44O (D3); C46H64O2 (MK-7) |
| Mechanism | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. | D3 converts to calcidiol then calcitriol, activating the vitamin D receptor (VDR) to increase intestinal calcium absorption and modulate immune and bone gene transcription. K2 carboxylates osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein, directing calcium toward bone and inhibiting vascular calcification. |
| Legal status | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies | Dietary supplement (global) |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled in the US | Not scheduled |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Recommended at standard doses for fetal bone development; consult clinician at higher doses |
| CAS | 157115-85-0 | 67-97-0 |
| PubChem CID | 183503 | 5280795 |
| Wikidata | Q4321022 | Q139347 |
Safety profile
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Vitamin D3 + K2
Common side effects
- GI upset at high doses
- headache (rare)
- hypercalcemia (only at sustained very high D3 doses)
Contraindications
- hypercalcemia
- sarcoidosis
- active hyperparathyroidism
- warfarin therapy (K2 component requires stable intake)
Interactions
- warfarin: K2 component can affect anticoagulation; maintain stable intake and inform anticoagulation clinic(moderate)
- thiazide diuretics: additive calcium retention; hypercalcemia risk with high-dose D3(moderate)
- digoxin and calcium channel blockers: additive effects from D3-induced hypercalcemia(moderate)
- glucocorticoids: reduced vitamin D efficacy and bone effects(moderate)
- cholestyramine and orlistat: bind fat-soluble vitamins; separate dosing by 2 to 4 hours(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Vitamin D3 + K2 comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is bone density, pick Vitamin D3 + K2.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Vitamin D3 + K2.
Edge case: If you want to avoid controlled substance, Vitamin D3 + K2 is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Vitamin D3 + K2. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Noopept and Vitamin D3 + K2?
Noopept and Vitamin D3 + K2 differ in category (nootropic vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Noopept or Vitamin D3 + K2?
Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours; Vitamin D3 + K2 half-life is 360 hours.
Can you stack Noopept with Vitamin D3 + K2?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper